196
a
close to the station that morning from Chinaman, were mixed up with the opium which had been seized, and all sent to the yamen after some of the balls of Mr. Futtakis's opium bad been taken out.” 8-That your petitioner begs to submit, after referring particularly to the principal point in the lekin farmer's letter to Mr. Sayers, in which that gentleman was enjoined to anyhow seize the opium of the Parsoes, that there could hardly be any motive on the part of the petitioner to carry over the chests in a surreptitious_manner, inasmuch as he being a foreigner and British subject was in virtue thereof exempted from any liability for lokin, and that there was hardly any vironmstance, as will readily be seen from Mr. Duncan's and Mr. Nelson's declarations, that could induce the belief that your petitioner in taking over the chests in the manner he had dons was acting in an unusual or surreptitious manner for avoiding lekin.
the truth.”
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[March 14, 1895.
COMPANY, LIMITED.
is embodied in a letter addressed by H.E. the THE HONGKONG FIRE INSURANCE Viceroy Li to Mr. Bourne on the 28th October, 1893, a certified translation of which is here. with annexed, marked L, for your Lordship's information.
The twenty-sixth annual meeting of share- holders in this Company was held on Saturday, at noon, in the offices of Messrs. Jardins, Mathe- son and Co. (General Managers). The Hon. J.J. Keswick presided and there were also present Hon. C. P. Chater, Messrs, J. S. Moses, S. G.^ Bird, C. J. Holliday, and J. H. Lewis (Consult- ing Committee), G. T. Veitch (Secretary), Hon. A. McConachie, Messrs. E. F. Alford, J. D. Humphreys, J. C. Peter, B. Byromjee, J. M. G. Pereira, J. M. E. Machado, H. Humphreys, Ho Tang, C. S. Taylor, K. McK. Ross, V. H. Deacon, A. G. Morris, R. C. Wilcox, and W. Parlane.
ад
13.-But your petitioner regrets that, though grateful for this attempt at partial reparation, the offer made is quite inadequate and insufficient for the loss that he has sustained and for the hardship that has entailed upon him thereby.
14hat your petitioner in couse nence most respectfully and earnestly entreats your Lord- ship that in vindication of the policy underlying and the principles involved in the facts of his case as narrated herein and further disclosed by the correspondence attached, as likewise in repar- ation of losses sustained by him by what, he sub. mits, was an illegal violation and infringement of The SECRETARY read the notice calling the the treaty rights of a British subject, your Lord-meeting. ship will be pleased to take such adequate measures The CHAIRMAN said-The report and ac- as may secure your petitioner that justice counts having been in your hands for some days, 9. That in pertinence to these observations that may be due to him on the merits of with your permission we will take them as read. your petitioner likewise requests your Lordship's bis case. The value of the opium the peti- In future l'hope we may be able to present the ac- attention to a certified copy of a very important tiober has been deprived of amounts to dollars counts to you earlier, as the closing of agencies in and significant report made by Mr. George 2,844,65, inclusive of duty paid at the Custom: the United Kingdom will now obviate the neces Brown, Vice-Consul, to Mr. Frater, the Consul, house, but exclusive of the loss in interest sity of waiting a considerable time after the close after an interview Mr. Brown had with the accruing on the amount since 1835, and other of the year for accounts from London. All liability prime mover, Mr. Chan Wei Ting, in the matter charges incidental to non-restitution of his proin connection with the British agencies ceased of both seizures. This report, marked F, perty up till now Including interest, the total on the 31st December last. Our agents in Lon-
· thoroughly indicates the evasiveness and un-loss to your petitioner amounts to $5,851.24, as don, Messrs Matheson and Co., took willingness of Mr. Chan Wei Ting to convey to per copies of invoices and memo. of accounts here enormous amount of trouble in connection Mr. Brown the facts connected with the seizures with attached, marked I, J., & K respectively. with the establishment of these agencies, and of petitioner's opium, although be undertook, Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that though they are naturally disappoited their as reported by Mr. Brown, to be frank with your Lordship may be pleased to consider your efforts did not meet with the success which we him, and as Mr. Brown puts it "with a burst of petitioner's case and take such steps as may seem at first anticipated, they have, in winding up the perhaps unconscious veracity to tell more than just and expedient to your Lordship for the re-business of the Company, given every care and covery by your petitioner of the aforesaid amount attention to our interests and succeeded in closing of his loss, viz., $5,851 24 and charges incurred.
earlier than we could have expected, and our And your petitioner will ever pray, &c., &o.
thanks are due them for all they have done. Dated this 1st day of March, 1895.
Turning to the accounts, I regret we are unable to give a dividend for 1893 equal to that of 1892, for what with the reductions in rates in every direction and an increase in the number of fires our profits for 1893 were greatly diminished, as you will have noticed from the accounts. 1894 also was an unfortunate year for us, as after debiting some heavy losses at several of our agencies the credit balance is reduced to $167,223.19 against $238,450.47 the previous year. From this balance have to be deducted claims in hand amounting to $52,000, so that practically speaking we have not more than a lakh of dollars. We trust, however, that any further losses may be light under 1894 policies, and that we may not have to make a call on the reserve fund to provide an equal dividend to the present. The outlook for the future is, I think, distinctly better than it has been for some time past. Fire insurance companies have found that the low rates which have ruled for some time past resulted in heavy losses, and I am glad to note movements in varions directions for increases iù rates. We are now working on the lines of nine years ago and I feel confident that if shareholders will give us their loyal sup. port there is a brighter future before this Com pany. I shall be very pleased to answer any ques- tions any shareholder may put to me before moving the adoption of the report and statement of accounts.
10-That your petitioner being informed that these particulars of the matter and the proceed. ings at the Prefect's referred to herein were for warded by IL.M. Consul at Canton to the British Bmbassy at Peking, your petitioner sent up his first representation there to Her Majesty's then Minister, H.E. Sir John Walsham, in June, 1887, and again he sent up another to the same Minister in June, 1889, but your petitioner re- grefs that though his importunities were un- remitting for a reply and a decision, none was Touchafed to him for reasons that he was never informed of. So late as in November of 1891 your petitioner was kindly informed by the act- ing Consul-General, Mr. Watters, thus:
In reply I am sorry to have to state that H.M. Minister at Peking has not sent any reply to my representation on the subject of the arrest of your opium ln 1886. I tried to induce the Viceroy to reopen the question, but be refused to do so."
Again in April of 1892 your petitioner was informed as follows by Mr. Watters, in reply to a further request made by him for a reminder of his case to Peking :--
"I am in receipt of your letter of to-day and regret to have to state in reply I have not received any answer from H.M. Minister. It will give me pleasure, however, to remind him of your claim at an early date."
|
CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEM-
PERANCE SOCIETY.
The ninth anniversary of the Missions to Seamen Hongkong branch of the above Society was held on Friday evening at the Seamen's Reading Room (Sailors' Home). The Chair was occupied by the Chaplain, Rev. A. G. Goldsmith. The report shows that 3,153 members have been enrolled since the commencement of the Society. A musical programme was rendered by the Temperance choir, with the assistance of Mrs. Dyer Ball and Mrs. Boxshall, who both sang solos.
Mr. J. Dyer Ball addressed the meeting and alluded with great force to the fact that by me. dical and other statistics it shown that 52.000 persons die annually in the British Isles solely through alcoholic poisoning or otherwise through the influence of drink He urged the need of such societies as this, where men were united in a common object and thus were so much stronger and better able to support each other.
No questions were asked, and the CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report and accounts.
Mr. J. D. HUMPHREYS-I beg leave to second the adoption of the report and statement of ac- counts as presented to you.
Carried.
The Hon. MCCONACHIE-I beg to propose that the retiring Committee-the Hon. C. P. hater, Messrs. Moses, Bird, Holliday, and Lewis
re-elected.
Mr. J. C. PETER secouded. Carried.
Lieutenant Risk, RN., also gave an interest. ing address, which was very attentively listened to. In the course of his remarks he said-When 11. That your petitioner cannot but regret I joined the navy twenty five years ago it was here that, owing to the absence of any reply or a very hard thing to become a member of a decision from H.E. Sir John Walsham, your Temperance Society, but now a man is not bunted petitioner was put to great disadvantage and down or thought a poor lot because he is a tee. farther loss, and that owing to the long period totaller. This shows that temperance men can that had been allowed by him to pass without hold their own and that their cause is advancing. any movement in the matter, your petitioner Temperance is better for health, as is shown by was most grievously deprived of the opportuni- the fact that insurance societies accept teetotal ties of representing the facts of his case to your lives on better terms than even those of mode. Lordship's predecessors at that time in office, rate drinkers. It does not interfere with good and praying for that redress which he might fellowship-good fellowship of a wholesome have been entitled to on a due representation of kind. There are three classes of drinkers; first,—be those facts betimes and at the proper moment. the man who cannot avoid taking too much; 12-That your petitioner in consequence had secondly, the man who sometimes may excepit, again to represent his case before Her Majesty's but who generally can stop when he has had present Minister at Pekin H.E. Mr. N. R. enough; and thirdly, the truly moderate drinker, Conor, on the 23rd of December. 1892, as per who never takes in excess. Undoubtedly the The copy of petition attached herewith marked H. first should abstain for every reason. and your petitioner whilst stating this cir-second ought to consider the matter seriously, cumstance cannot but appreciate and most thankfully acknowledge the consideration and attention your petitioner's case has received since then from His Excellency. It was simply owing to His Excellency's commending your petitioner's case to the Ministers of the Tsung- li yamen for an equitable treatment that even after the lapse of so many as well nigh nine years a recognition, though not complete, of his claim has been made by the Chinese authorities by their conveying to him, through Her Majesty's Acting Consul, Mr. F. 8. A. Bourne, an offer of $900 in full satisfaction of his claim. The offer
!
and if he did s would see that total abstiuence is the wisest course The third, though not under any necessity for himself, may yet become an abstainer for the sake of those around him who are not capable of looking after themselves.
Mr. Walter Tara (hou. lay helper) thanked the speakers.
The meeting closed with a hymn and the benediction.
Colonel Mila, R. M.A., Capt. Bower, Surgeon Major James, and Capt. Eliot, U.S.N., lett Tientsin for Peking on the 10th ult,
Mr. BYROMJEE moved and Mr. MACHADO SE- conded the re-election as auditors of Mesars. F'ul- lerton Henderson and A. Coxon.
Carried.
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, that concludes the business of the meeting and I am very much obliged to you for your attendance. Dividend warrants will be ready on Monday next.
At Shangbai on the morning of the 3rd inst., shortly before half-past seven o'clock, fire broke out in Tsungming Road, on the west side of North Szecbúen Road, and six houses were burat out, the flames being confined to one block. Woog Ah-yen, a young Cantonese girl aged 1a years, who was asleep in one of the houses, 'burned to death.
Page 10Page 11